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Saturday, April 10, 2010

The other day I received a copy of Marvel’s new collection,Spider-Man: the Complete Clone Saga Epic, Book 1 (an ungainly, but necessary, title). The Clone Saga, as many of you Spider-fans know, ran through the the Spider-Man family of comic books in the mid-nineties and has gone on to become, perhaps, the single most controversial story line in Peter Parker’s history. We knew it would be. From the moment then-Web of Spider-Man writer Terry Kavanagh tossed the idea out on the table at one of our regular Spider-conferences, we knew we had a keg of dynamite on our hands. But what an exciting keg it was. At least I thought so. I had just taken over the writing of Amazing Spider-Man—and the idea that the guy we thought was Spidey was a clone while the real Spider-Man had been out wandering the world for five years thinking he was a fake seemed like just the thing we needed to shake the Spiderverse to its foundations. Most of the writers, artists and editors who joined in that retreat agreed.

What was most exciting was that this wasn’t some bogus Big Event. This was going to be The Real Thing. Good-bye Peter and Mary Jane, hello Ben Reilly (the perfect name, courtesy of my dear friend Danny Fingeroth, who was the Spider-Man group editor at the time). As we knocked the idea around, we realized that what we had on our hands was a powerful super-heroic drama with emotion, psychology, action and—perhaps most important—a coherent beginning, middle and end. It was our intention to bring Ben back, mess with the readers’ minds for six or eight months, and then, when the smoke cleared, return him to his full glory as Spider-Man, sending Peter, Mary Jane and their new baby off into the happy ending we thought they deserved.

But when Danny took the premise to then-editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco, Tom instantly nixed it. He even came to the second day of the conference to explain to us why the story would never be done. We all listened to Tom’s objections, and then told him (loudly, I’m sure) why the story had to be done. We must have been very convincing because, by the time the conference was over, Tom hadn’t only agreed to let us go ahead with the storyline, he’d signed on as the new writer of Spectacular Spider-Man.

We began to meet every couple of weeks in a Marvel conference room—me, Tom, Danny, Terry, Howard Mackie, Eric Fein, Mark Bernardo, Mark Powers and, eventually, Todd Dezago—to shape the story...focus it...push it forward. (One thing we didn’t want was for it to drag on till the end of time. We wanted to get in, tell the tale, and get out as quickly as possible.) There were no big egos at those meetings, no one trying to hog the glory or force his point of view down anyone’s throat. Just a group of extremely enthusiastic creators—all of whom genuinely liked each other—laughing and shouting and banging on the table while shoveling down far too much pizza and Chinese food. I don’t know if I’ve ever had more fun in my professional life. (It was, in its way, our own little Golden Age, one I look back on with immense fondness and gratitude.)

But, slowly, things began to unravel—beginning with the fact that the entire industry, which had been going through a boom-time, was suddenly starting to go bust. Sales at Marvel started falling across the board. (Although—initially, at least—the Clone Saga gave the Spider-books a significant sales boost.) Marvel replaced DeFalco with not one but five editors-in-chief (an idea that didn’t last very long)—and they were all under tremendous pressure from their superiors to turn things around. Another old friend and collaborator, Bob Budiansky, who became the Spider-Man EIC, was expected to treat the Spider books as if they were a comic book line in and of themselves. The atmosphere, through no fault of Bob's, became more tense. Add to this the fact that the marketing department—which was beginning to wrest control from editorial—was asking us to elongate the story and you can understand why the air was swiftly leaking from the Spider-balloon.

I also think that we, as writers, occasionally lost our grip on the story. We did some fantastic work, but we also had some serious stumbles. (The most obvious example being the “Maximum Clonage” story. One of my least favorite pieces of the Clone Saga puzzle.) The biggest problem, on a purely creative level, was the fact that after our regular meetings, where we'd map out the story in great detail, we'd each go off to write our individual chapter of it. There was no controlling voice. No consistent tone. And I found writing Chapter Two of a larger story incredibly frustrating. It limited spontaneity, which, for me, is the best part of the journey. I love to let the characters rear up and surprise me. When you're working your little territory in the middle of a larger story...and the other guy may have already written the chapter after yours...there's not a lot of room for that. (I remember ending one story with the revelation that the female Doctor Octopus was Seward Trainer's daughter...it just kind of came as I wrote the final pages. Problem was, Tom D had already written the next chapter and, if I'm remembering correctly, had to go back in and change his chapter to reflect my new idea. Tom did it—he's a class act, a total pro—but I'm sure he wasn't thrilled about it.) All that said, I was still having a reasonably good time—especially when it came to Ben Reilly.

I write characters from the inside out. It's their psychological and spiritual make-up that interests me more than anything. The minute I stepped inside Ben's head, it was clear that he was a very different character than Peter. A very different man. They had, at their core, the same values, the same inherent decency; but Ben's life experience had changed him drastically. He was tougher, I think; far more troubled. Quicker to anger. Less respectful of the law. His heart had been wounded so much that he had a hard shell around it. Yet, beneath that shell, aspects of the Peter Parker we knew and loved remained. That was the fun of Ben Reilly: he was Peter Parker and, at the same time he wasn't. Working on The Lost Years (which, along with some Reilly back-up stories I wrote around the same time, kicks off the new collection) was, for me, the highlight of the Clone Saga. Digging deeper into Ben's past, deepening the character of Kaine, working with the great John Romita, Jr.: what a wonderful experience. To be perfectly honest, I think Ben was, in many ways, a better character than Peter. Certainly more layered and interesting. And that's coming from a guy who thinks that Peter Parker is one of the most layered and interesting characters in the history of comics.

Somewhere in the middle of the Clone Saga, I decided to put on my parachute and bail out. As noted, things had changed drastically at Marvel and in the Spider-Man office. Everyone was doing his or her very best on the books, but it just wasn't as much fun. But the main reason I left (as I recall, anyway) was that I was sick of writing that damn middle chapter. I've always been happier off in my own corner, writing stories that are uniquely mine. That's one of the reasons I loved working on The Lost Years. I was able to do exactly what I wanted with that story. If I could have written a monthly Ben Reilly book, exploring his five missing years, I'd probably still be doing it. (I’ve been lucky enough, in recent months, to return to both Ben and Kaine. In fact, I’m writing a story right now, set in the months before Kraven’s Last Hunt, that pits Kaine against Sergei Kravinov—and I’m having a ball.)

The Clone Saga went on for quite a while after my departure, and—for reasons that were beyond the control of the writers and artists working on the books—the story seemed to change direction every few months. I was disappointed by the ending that finally saw print, but, of course, I’m biased: I still think our original ending should have been the ending: Ben becomes Spider-Man. Peter, MJ and the baby go off together. One of the important points we were trying to make was that wearing tights and punching people isn't the only way—or the best way—to prove that "with great power comes great responsibility." Raising a child with intelligence, compassion and love is the perhaps the greatest responsibility there is. I'm sorry we lost that. It would have been a powerful statement to come from the flagship character of the Marvel Universe. "Yes, folks, super hero adventures are great fun...but, in the real world, it's compassion and human decency that counts."

Still, I remain convinced that—warts and all (and, let’s be honest, some of those warts were pretty darn big)—the Clone Saga was just what the 90’s Spider-books needed—which is why I’m delighted that Marvel is collecting the whole messy epic in this new series of trade paperbacks (the one sitting here on my desk runs over four hundred pages. You’ll certainly be getting your money’s worth). The little bombshell that Terry Kavanaugh threw on the table at that long-ago editorial retreat allowed me to tell some of the meatiest, most satisfying Spider-stories of my career. Stories I’m very proud of. The Lost Years—and the death of Aunt May in Amazing Spider-Man #400 (which, I hope, will be in the second volume)—foremost among them.

And those writers meetings? I’m telling you: You should’ve been there.

32 comments:

I thought Ben Reilly was a really good character. The Lost Years and Amazing Spider-man #400 are some of my favorite Spider-man stories. I also liked when Ben was Spider-man for awhile. I do wish he had stayed Spider-man. I thought it was the perfect solution for those who wanted a single Spider-man, but it didn't reset Peter like the current Amazing Spider-man storyline has. I also liked the ending to Aunt May's story. I wish it had not been undone (though: I did enjoy JMS's story where Aunt May found out. Of course, that was undone too).

Overall, there are parts of the Clone Saga that I really liked. I don't hate the storyline like some people do.

I will definitly keep an eye out for the first collection. I missed some of the early Clone Saga stories.

I pre-ordered the TPB as soon as I knew it was solicited. I should be getting it sometime this week, and I'm super-pumped.

I tend to agree that Ben is a more layered character than Peter. I would love to see what I affectionately call the 'Ben Reilly trilogy' collected in hardcover format--that is, "The Parker Legacy," "The Lost Years," and "Redemption." I see the logic in arranging them chronologically, but I'd sure love to eventually have my cake and eat it, too. I'll buy whatever format they come in.

I see what you mean about dividing chapters. I think some of the strongest Clone Saga work came about when the teams were running stories concurrently rather than consecutively. I'm thinking of the time period where the titles were split between Ben and Peter's adventures respectively. Each title had a unique angle.

It was an exciting time to be a Spider-Man fan, one where you never really knew what was around the corner. And I think a lot of the techniques you guys used which escaped me at the time (the foreshadowing and parallelism) were and are BRILLIANT.

I'm interested to see what someone who's never been exposed to the story thinks of it, Nicholas. There's been so much controversy around the Clone Saga for so long that I think the story itself has gotten lost in the shuffle.

Mr. DeMatteis, i'm the friend Nick spoke of and i must say i can't wait for the next trade to come out. I absolutely loved it. The rise of a hero, the simultaneous decline of another's psyche... i have no idea what happens next and i love it. I missed the controversy back in the 90's and in going back and reading the books of that era this is one book i have really been sucked into and enjoyed. What was everyone's problem back then? This story is great!Anyway, i'll loan it to Nicholas and we'll see what he thinks...

Hey, Chad—thanks for checking in. VERY glad you enjoyed the first volume of the Clone Saga.

"What was everyone's problem back then?" Well, I think some people just couldn't wrap their heads around the idea that the Spider-Man they'd been reading about for years (and, remember, it was five years Spidey-time, but more like fifteen or twenty years worth of stories) wasn't the real guy. And I can understand that. But, really, clone or not, nothing we did invalidated those stories; in a way, I think the revelation made them even more interesting. But that's something we can all debate...well, pretty much forever.

Y'know, Rob, I actually think if we'd done the story in a timely manner, as originally planned -- instead of letting it drag on and on -- people would have adjusted, pretty quickly, to Ben as Spider-Man. It would have been a "Brand New Day" for Spidey (hope Steve Wacker doesn't mind me lifting that) and the book would have taken off in exciting, fresh directions.

Speaking of "Brand New Day": I actually think we would have benefited from the approach used by the current Spidey brain-trust. All the writers and editors work out the storylines together -- but then a SINGLE WRITER goes in and does each arc. One writer, one voice. As noted in the post, I think the constantly-changing voices sometimes undermined our storytelling.

I was a boy when the Clone Saga came out and even though I was in Mexico and not exposed to many comic books (I would read a Spidey title every six months or so), I had heard of the controversy. I thought Scarlet Spider was cool at the time and really enjoyed the clone story in the animated cartoon at the time.I have a copy of an issue in French from the clone saga, one in Spanish and one in English. I just to try to get Spider-Man in different languages as a teenager, hoping it would inspire me to learn the language. In some countries it was hard to find Spidey though. I couldn't find Spidey in Vasco or in Gallego (both languages of Spain). But I digress. I think the idea of Ben Reilly as the new Spidey was the good one, but without implying that Peter was the clone all along, no need for that part.

I think part of the negative reaction to Peter being the clone was how Peter handled the news. If I remember correctly, when confronted with evidence that he might be the clone he would generally become incredibly upset and violent. I seem to remember at least one fist fight with Ben. I think if Peter himself had been more accepting, the fans would have too. That's one of the very few things I think I liked more about DeFalco and Mackie's recent retelling (the others being Ben and baby May living). In it, Ben and Peter basically decide, "We're surrounded by madmen and liars. Whether I'm a clone or not, I'm me and you are you. It's what we've done and what we will do that matters." I think that would have left fans more at peace if that's how it had originally gone down.

I love the idea of reading Spider-Man in all those languages, Quique. I've always struggled with foreign languages, but I bet if someone had given me stacks of comics in other languages when I was a kid, I would have gobbled them up and learned without even realizing it.

That's an interesting point, Colin, and you might very well be right. Although I've talked to my buddy Tom DeFalco about it, I haven't seen the recent retelling (and, really, that's all it is. Don't for a second think it's the definitive account of what the story would have been. I don't think any of us could reconstruct that), but that sounds like a good way to play it. That said, if someone told you you were a clone and your entire life was a lie, I think you'd totally lose it, too...at least for a little while. So, to me, Peter's reaction in the old stories was right on the money.

I'm falling in love with Ben Reilly all over again. I've read through "The Double," "The Parker Legacy," and "The Lost Years" this morning. It serves the story well to group those together at the first of the volume.

It's truly superior work that, as far as I'm concerned, works as a compelling fantasy story but also rises above the level of standard superhero fare. I read your intro from the original "Lost Years" TPB and I liked this very much:

"Love and lust, murder and salvation, the search for true faith in a world that often seems devoid of any hint of God: all of these themes erupted on the page, marching toward a conclusion that was, I think, as hopeful as it was tragic."

This is something that I love about your work. I feel like it's honest, it's raw, and it deals with some tough realities. It's not Hallmark. But you tend to bring readers through that experience to a place of faith, hope and love. It's a challenge to my faith in God and man, but when all is said and done, I come away feeling as though my faith is renewed, stronger even. And that's something I aspire to in my writing and in the way I live my life. As the review of SAVIOR 28 you linked a while back said, I feel like a better person for having read it.

More random thoughts:

As for Colin's points, I do remember feeling at the time like Peter was being positioned poorly to make Ben seem better by comparison. But it would ring a little hollow if Peter came to terms with Ben TOO quickly (DeFalco was dealing with different time constraints with his mini-series). Maybe there's a happy medium there somewhere that wasn't quite achieved. I'm coming at the Clone Saga from a different perspective now, though, so it will be interesting to see how I feel about the execution when I read it as a whole.

I think working with established characters like Spider-Man and his supporting cast lends itself to some powerful, gut-wrenching moments. When you can put Peter Parker and Ben Reilly through hell, well, it's almost like seeing old friends suffer (and eventually rise to the occasion).

I also dig the way Ben Reilly was used in the backups and "Lost Years." It just goes to show that you don't need exploding pumpkin bombs or adamantium tentacles to make for a hard-hitting superhero story. The way Ben dealt with Clifford Gross is every bit as interesting (if not more so) than the way he handles the Green Goblin or Doc Ock.

I think that's what's so great about Ben Reilly's "lost years." There's so much potential there because Ben can't be a traditional superhero. By limiting Ben's options, it forces the writers (and Ben) to come up with CREATIVE SOLUTIONS to problems.

That's one of the things I love about the Lee era Spidey. He used his brain (not that he doesn't now, but I do think superhero comics largely moved away from that). And Lee was constantly forcing Peter to rise to another level. Making Norman Osborn the Green Goblin was a stroke of genius, because it challenged Peter to go about their conflict in a different way. Reilly represented a return to that approach because the stories forced him to be better through determination, skill, and heart, rather than sheer force.

My rant is over for now (thanks for indulging me), but wow, this is just exciting, brilliant stuff.

I, for one, was a huge fan of the clone saga. I was in my mid-thirties at the time and for the very first time in my life, I found myself eagerly going to the comic ship each week for the next chapter. Amazing #400 and Spider-man #75 are among my all-time favorite Spidey stories. I know there was just recently an unannounced Ben Reilly story in Web #8. I hope Marvel lets you continue his NEW adventures!

Thanks, Aspman (hey, has there ever been as Aspman in comics? If not, it might be time!). I think there are many fans of the CS out there...and, with all the renewed interest, they're starting to come out of the clone closet and speak out about their love of the story; which is very gratifying to those of us who worked on them. Speaking of which --

I, of course, remember what was in AMAZING #400, but what was going on in SPIDER-MAN #75?

JM, not sure if you're going to read this or not since this is a fairly old blog post but I was reading it and I have one question:

Was it ever considered that you would just do the story in a 6 or 12 issue arc in Amazing? Seems like it would be easier to do it that way instead of putting it in 5 different Spider-man books (although I understand that there would be ramifications in the other books after the reveal).

I think doing it in one book, while the rest of the titles were telling different stories, would have been incredibly confusing, J. That's one of the reasons that -- back when we were doing KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT -- editor Jim Salicrup ran it through all of the Spider-titles over the course of a few months. Couldn't have Spidey in the grave in one series and fighting Doc Ock in another.

That said, I think the current way of doing things on the Spider-books -- one creative team handling each arc, all of it running through one title, AMAZING -- would have been the perfect way to go back then. (And perhaps that's what you're talking about...?) But the truth is, we never thought of it!